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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breastfeeding

22 replies

Alized · 20/04/2005 13:50

Hi I have been breastfeeding my son for nearly 2 years, sometimes as much as 3 times aday. Has anyone got any useful advice about stopping breastfeeding. My doctor adviced on changing my pill so that I dried up my milk.
Please help.

OP posts:
tiktok · 20/04/2005 14:25

Not sure I understand your doctor's advice, Alized.....you mean switching to a different form of contraceptive pill? The combined pill is known to have some effect on breastmilk supply, but it won't dry you up. There's lots of info on extended breastfeeding and stopping breastfeeding on Mumsnet - you can do a search on the archives for some ideas. Do you have any special reason why you want to stop now? Can you do it gradually or do you need to do it straight away?

Original poster
Alized · 20/04/2005 19:45

nobody got any advice?

OP posts:
hewlettsdaughter · 20/04/2005 19:49

Does this site help? It's American so when it talks about weaning it means weaning off the breast (not simply starting solids).

Original poster
Alized · 20/04/2005 19:53

Not sure if i want to give it up gradually or not. have been getting a lot of grief because he is 2 and im still feeding him. Yes i do mean change to the combined pill. Was told this will stop my milk.

OP posts:
Tissy · 20/04/2005 19:56

as tiktok says there are two ways to do this: either stop suddenly and shut up shop (your child will be fractious for a few days and your breasts will be a bit uncomfortable) or reduce the frequency of feeds bit by bit till you're only feeding once a day, then stop. This is what I did and it wasn't traumatic- I cut down the feeds till dd was just having a bedtime feed, then one night I said, "No, Mummy's milk is all gone". There were tears (mine more than hers) but they didn't last long, and the breast discomfort was minimal. You don't need drugs- as soon as your child stops feeding your breasts will get the message and stop making milk.

Tissy · 20/04/2005 19:56

as tiktok says there are two ways to do this: either stop suddenly and shut up shop (your child will be fractious for a few days and your breasts will be a bit uncomfortable) or reduce the frequency of feeds bit by bit till you're only feeding once a day, then stop. This is what I did and it wasn't traumatic- I cut down the feeds till dd was just having a bedtime feed, then one night I said, "No, Mummy's milk is all gone". There were tears (mine more than hers) but they didn't last long, and the breast discomfort was minimal. You don't need drugs- as soon as your child stops feeding your breasts will get the message and stop making milk.

Tissy · 20/04/2005 19:56

oops!

hewlettsdaughter · 20/04/2005 19:57

I don't know about the pill - but do YOU want to stop? If so, the link I've just given suggests techniques on how you can do it.

Tissy · 20/04/2005 19:58

if you don't want to stop b/feeding, you don't have too. Who's giving you grief?

Original poster
Alized · 20/04/2005 20:15

Thanks Hewlettsdaughter, the site was pretty good.

Mainly get grief from some friends, health visitor and some of my doctors at my practice.

OP posts:
hewlettsdaughter · 20/04/2005 20:25

Never mind what they think - you do what you want to do

Original poster
Alized · 20/04/2005 20:26

Think i might stick it out and hopefully he might stop himself.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 20/04/2005 20:27

There's absolutely nothing wrong with breastfeeding for that long! Obviously, if you want to stop, stop. But don't feel you have to give in to pressure from friends and so on!

A friend of mine breastfed her daughter to 2.5, and weaned by explaining to her what was going on.

hewlettsdaughter · 20/04/2005 20:29

I'm currently trying to cut out feeding my dd (who's one) at night - not sure either of us are ready to stop completely though.

Hope things go ok for you.

Original poster
Alized · 20/04/2005 20:32

Thanks Hewlettsdaughter.

Speak to you in 6 months time. See who is still feeding. best of luck luv Ali xxx

OP posts:
tiktok · 20/04/2005 23:29

Alized- your HV and people at your doctor's need to mind their own....anyway, your doctor telling you the combined pill would dry up your milk is showing his/her ignorance.

Fran1 · 20/04/2005 23:42

Hi i know how you feel!!

My dd turned two in Jan, and had just stopped bf about a month before.

As you say, i felt pressure from family and hv. That alone didn't make me stop, but i think it aided my fears that if i didn't stop now she'd be breastfeeding at the school gates!

Once i did stop, (and i realised it is possible to stop) i decided that with next child i won't have let myself get in the panic the next time round.

I took the gradual approach, avoiding close cuddles/using big distraction techniques to cut down the amount of feeds. And lots of talking about dd being "grown up" and not needing it anymore. She understood this and it coincided with starting pre-school and having a big girls bed so she felt special about being grown up. So when she did breastfeed we'd share a little joke that she didn't need to do that because she was a big girl now, that was often enough to distract her into not feeding. Some days she did, some days she didn't, eventually my milk dried up and she said "oh mummy's boobies are broken!"

So it was pain free and tear free. It can be done and you don't have to panic about it like i did You could even pretend you've given up to those who are putting pressure just to make it easier for yourself.

Good luck!

bobbybob · 21/04/2005 00:26

I just stopped mentioning it to doctors, HVs etc at about the 18 month mark. It's none of their business. Sometimes it comes up in conversation with friends when I refuse some food which has egg in it and they ask me if I'm still feeding. I simply say yes, and then just wait for the conversation to move on.

Ds is now 26 months and we are both very happy with the situation.

3 times a day at nearly 2 isn't heaps - many people are giving bottles that often at that age, so why is breastfeeding 3 times a day wrong.

Original poster
Alized · 21/04/2005 09:53

Thanks to everyone who gave me some advice. I'm going to keep going and see what happens. I'll try to igrore everyone also. Thanks again
Alized xxx

OP posts:
spots · 21/04/2005 10:26

Fran1, aww! Glad it wasn't too traumatic in the end... remember you talking on another thread about her keenness on bf. well done, and I have found your experiences on this helpful (I am still rather taken aback by my DD's bf hunger but she's not yet one so hey ho for now).

Alized, let us know how you get on!

Nelley · 29/04/2005 06:17

Recently I have found that my milk supply is not as good as it could be. Fennell tea was recommended to me and it has worked a treat! I now feel fuller than before (add a sweetner to make the team taste really good!). I drink about 3 cups a day.

chipmonkey · 01/05/2005 01:50

Alized, my brother was fed till he was 3. Did him no harm whatsoever (altho my mu was a bit exhausted!)

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